What Does 사촌 (Sachon) Mean in Korean?
Written and reviewed by Jun and Jin, native Korean speakers
Published · Updated · How we write & review
After this page, you can recognize 사촌 (sachon) when you hear or read it, and use it correctly for any cousin.
10-second answer
What Does 사촌 (Sachon) Mean in Korean?
사촌 (sachon) means "cousin" — one word for any cousin, regardless of age or gender. Korean can get more specific when it matters: 외사촌, 이종사촌 and 고종사촌 (oesachon, ijongsachon, gojongsachon) name which side of the family a cousin comes from, but they're relationship names for introducing someone, not what you call the cousin. In everyday talk, plain 사촌 is almost always enough.
Quick check — did that land?
1. Does 사촌 change based on whether the cousin is older or younger?
사촌. Korean makes “cousin” surprisingly simple.
Quick Examples
이 사람은 제 사촌이에요.
i sarameun je sachonieyo.
This person is my cousin.
No need to specify older/younger or male/female — 사촌 covers all of them.
사촌이랑 같이 컸어요.
sachon-irang gachi keosseoyo.
I grew up together with my cousin.
Cousins are often close in Korean extended-family culture, especially when grandparents live nearby.
저는 외사촌이 세 명 있어요.
jeoneun oesachon-i se myeong isseoyo.
I have three cousins on my mom's side.
외사촌 (oe-sachon) — specifically a maternal-side cousin, from 외 ("outside," the mother's side of the family).
See also: 삼촌 (Samchon) — uncle
사촌 vs 외사촌 vs 친사촌
| Word | Side of family | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 사촌 (sachon) | Unspecified / general | The default word — safe to use for any cousin when the side doesn't matter |
| 친사촌 (chin-sachon) | Paternal (father's side) | 친 ("blood/paternal") specifies the father's side — less commonly said aloud since 사촌 alone often implies it |
| 외사촌 (oe-sachon) | Mother's side — strictly your mom's brother's children | 외 ("outside") marks the mother's side — used when you describe or introduce a cousin, not when you call them |
For the whole family on one printable page — cousins included — see our free Korean family tree chart.
One English Word, No Korean Splitting Needed
Korean kinship terms are famous for being more specific than English almost everywhere else — 형 vs 오빠, 누나 vs 언니, 이모 vs 고모 all split by gender or side of family. 사촌 is a rare case where Korean is actually simpler than expected: no separate words for an older or younger cousin, and no gender split — just 사촌, with the maternal/paternal distinction as an optional add-on rather than a requirement.
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Trying to translate "first cousin" or "second cousin" literally
Korean doesn't split cousins by degree the way English formally does — 사촌 covers first cousins, and more distant ones use separate compound terms rather than a "second cousin" equivalent.
Mistake #2 — Calling a cousin 외사촌 to their face
외사촌, 이종사촌 and 고종사촌 are fine when you describe or introduce a cousin — 제 외사촌이에요 — but you never use them to call the cousin. Face to face it's 형, 누나, 오빠, 언니 or their name, and in everyday talk most people just say 사촌.
Mini Quiz
1. Does 사촌 change based on whether the cousin is older or younger?
2. What does 외사촌 specifically mean?
3. If the side of the family doesn't matter, which word is safest to use?
Related Knowledge
Learn Next
Korean Family Titles Beyond Mom and Dad
사촌 is one piece of a much bigger extended-family vocabulary system — see the fuller picture here.
Will you remember this tomorrow?
Save it — your daily review brings it back right before you'd forget. No account needed.